Design Without Limits: Unveiling IBM Rational Software Architect Designer (RSAD) 10.0

In a globe of increasing complexity, a superior application must stem from a well-thought-out design. But a great design needs a great tool - doesn’t it? That’s where IBM Rational Software Architect Designer 10.0 comes in.

As teams become more distributed, the tools we use must not hold us back; instead, they must empower us. The latest release of IBM Rational Software Architect Designer (RSAD) represents a significant leap forward in this direction, modernizing both the core experience and enhancing collaboration to keep your design-led development environment running smoothly.

The new features in RSAD 10.0 benefit both new and existing users by making the tool more modern, collaborative, and efficient. Let’s see how these updates positively impact users at different levels.

Eclipse 4.23 and Java 17 Support

For users developing or debugging applications in Java with a standard Eclipse IDE, using RSAD means the interface looks and feels familiar - just like the one you already know. So, there’s no challenge of spending time learning a completely new environment.

With RSAD 10.0, you can leverage the benefits of modern Eclipse and Java capabilities.

Java 17 Modeling Support

When you are tasked to design modern Java applications, with Java 17 modeling support in RSAD, you can model modern Java features - such as sealing classes, switch expressions, and records - directly in your models. Beyond that, RSAD lets you visualize how your design maps to the latest language syntax: create a UML class diagram and then generate Java 17 code from it.

You can also leverage the reverse engineering capabilities of Java transformations to create the visual designs corresponding to your modern Java 17-based applications.

Jira Integration

Sometimes, teams are tasked with designing a user authentication module, and they use Jira to manage tasks. With the new Jira integration in RSAD, you can create a UML sequence diagram and link it directly to the Jira task, providing your team with a clear visual representation of the design. Once done, you can add a comment to the Jira task saying, "Design is complete." This kind of integration makes it easy to communicate your work and share feedback, which is indispensable for teams.

OpenAPI 3.0 Enhancements

Let’s say you are tasked with designing a RESTful API for an application or system. With the new OpenAPI 3.0 enhancements, you can use RSAD to create a visual model of the API's endpoints, request/response schemas, and data structures. With this model, RSAD can generate a standardized OpenAPI specification file, which can then be utilized by teams to generate client code and server stubs. This ensures that the design, implementation, and documentation of the API are perfectly synchronized from the start.

You can also leverage the reverse engineering capabilities of OpenAPI transformations to create the visual designs corresponding to your existing OpenAPI specification files.

Code Coverage of Java Code

When you are tasked to improve the quality of Java code, you can leverage the built-in Eclipse Java Code Coverage (JaCoCo) capabilities to run the code coverage on Java applications.

Coverage analysis reports help you to improve the quality of your Java code in both general-purpose and Web applications.

Compatibility, Tooling, and Security

IBM Rational Software Architect Designer 10.0 supports modern platforms like Windows 11, RHEL, and MacOS (x86), enabling smooth OS upgrades without encountering compatibility issues.

Updated integrations with eGIT, ClearTeam Explorer, and IBM Engineering Workflow Management tools make transitions between version control systems easier, while support for Rational Common Licensing 9.0 and IBM Installation Manager ensures compliant enterprise deployment - making RSAD 10.0 a reliable choice for larger teams.

As the saying goes, “Well begun is half done.” In software development, a strong beginning starts with a solid, impeccable design. IBM Rational Software Architect Designer 10.0 ensures your designs are not only well-structured but also integrated perfectly into the development lifecycle.

Whether you're designing business processes or Java-based applications, designing APIs with OpenAPI 3.0, or integrating directly with tools like Jira, RSAD 10.0 positions design at the heart of DevOps. It’s not just about creating UML diagrams - it’s about making design actionable, traceable, and aligned with delivery.

Want to learn more?

As you can see from all the enhancements above, IBM is investing heavily in our IBM RSAD solution. Our goal is to ensure this solution remains the most trusted application software designer solution for the enterprise.

Learn more about what’s new in IBM RSAD 10.0 via the user documentation: https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/rational-soft-arch/10.0?topic=designer-whats-new-in-rational-software-architect

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